Railroad Tie Pricing

The Railroad Tie Pricing table contains an informal survey of pricing of standard railroad ties based on information from retailer websites. 

Pricing Survey for Railroad Ties: 

• Date of Railroad Tie Price Survey: 8/13/24
• Railroad Tie Store Surveyed: Menards 
  • Price of one Railroad Tie: $23.99 USD

Note: standard ties are 7" x  9" x 8'.  There is more face (surface) area if the wider dimension (9") is used vertically.

CAUTION: The pricing information provided is for calculating convenience with NO implied guarantees to the accuracy of the values listed. Authoritative sources should be sought to confirm any value before risking health or wealth on the veracity of the data. Furthermore, Calc gives no guarantee that you will be able to buy products at listed prices or even if they will be available.  The data provided is purely a convenience for making estimates, so we strongly recommend that one ALWAYS use local pricing and authoritative specifications.

The Math / Science

The common railroad tie is 96 inches long and 9 inches high and 7 inches wide.  This is face area of 864 square inches, or 6 square feet (ft2).  The formula for the number of railroad ties needed for a retention wall is:

`n = (L*H) "/" tL * tH`

• n = number of railroad ties needed for the wall
• L = Length of Wall
• H = Height of Wall
• tL = Tie Length
• tH = Tie Height 

Note: standard ties are 7" x  9" x 8'.  There is more face (surface) area if the wider dimension (9") is used vertically.

The Railroad Ties for Retention Wall formula calculates the number railroad ties needed to build a wall based on the length and height of the wall, and based on the assumption that the wall is one tie deep.